Marking machine



Apr. 3, 1923. 11,450,776

' E. HOWELL MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 1 J gnue'ntoz Apr. 3, 1923; LIESUJTS W. E. HOWELL MARKING MACH'INE Filed Dec. 20, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 2 N N gnvewfoz w. E. HOWELL MARKING MACHINE Apr. 3, 1923.,

Filed Dec. 20, 1920 4 sheetssheet 5 E. HOWELL MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Apr. 3, i923.

Uhi'llTElE 'WESLEY E. HOYVELL, 0F MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO WHITALL-TATUM COMPANY, OF MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY, A CORLPORATION OF NEVI JERSEY.

MARKING- MACHINE.

Application filed December 20, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVESLEY E. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Millville, county of Cumberland, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Marking Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates broadly to marking machines, and more particularly to machines of this nature for marking glass articles, such as rods, tubes, vials and the like.

llhe principal object of the present invention is to provide means for automatically taking and marking an article or a series of articles with one or more marks located at a predetermined distance from one or both ends of each article.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotating carrier having meansfor receiving and transferring an article froma source of supply to a marking device, and then releasing the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a delivery means for the articles to be marked cooperating with the carrier and holding the articles in position to be taken thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically adjusting the position or the marker or markers whereby the marks are always located a predetermined and uniform distance from one or both ends 01" each of the articles.

The foregoing and other objects, together with their attendant advantages, will be apparent as the invention becomes better understood, by eterence to the accompanying specification and drawings forming a part thereof, it being premised that changes may be made in the various details and the manner of operation, within the scope of the appended claims. without departing from the spirit or". the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of a marking machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on an en larged scale, through a portion of the carrier;

Serial "No. 431,875.

Figure elis an end elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the marking devices;

Figure 5 is a perspective view, on an larged scale, of the cam for operating agitating bars;

Figure 6 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the holding fingers; and

Figure 7 is a sectional detail view of one of the marking devices.

The present drawings illustrate a machine particularly adapted for marking two lines of severance on glass tubes from which two vials are to be made. By changing the number of markers, however, it will be apparent that any desired number of lines or marks may be made without departing from the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a supporting base 1 of any desired construction, having uprights 2 secured thereto for supporting a hopper 3 in inclined position.- As shown, the hopper may comprise a stationary bottom plate 4 and co-operating side plates 5 carried by adjustable brackets 6, whereby the width of the hopper may be changed to accommodate the same to the length of the articles being handled.

The side plates 5, at their lower ends, may be provided with downwardly inclined retaining angles 7 terminating any desired distance above the bottom plate 4 for forming a discharge or delivery opening 8. Coopcrating with the delivery opening are retaining rests 9 adapted to hold the articles in position to be taken by the carrier.

Extending upwardly from the base 1, adjacent the delivery end of the hopper 3, are supports 10 forming bearings for a transversely extending shaft 11 carrying a drive pulley 12 for operating the carrier mechanism, as will appear more fully hereinafter. The carrier mechanism in itspreferred embodiment comprises a pair of spaced carrier disks 13, having hubs 14-, through which e3;- tend set screws 15 for securing the disks to the shaft 11 intermediate the supports 10, and insuring their rotation with the shaft.

Each of the disks 13 is provided with a series of holding pins 16 projecting outwardly from the periphery thereof and provided with a yielding covering 17 to prevent enthe breakage of the articles being operated upon. Each of the holding pins is preferably so shaped that the outer end thereof projects forwardly in the direction of travel of the carrier disks to more firmly retain the articles, as will be apparent. Co-operating with each of the holding pins 16 is a holding finger 18, having a pivotal mounting 19 and normally urged toward the holding pin by a spring 20.

During operation of the machine, power is applied to the shaft 11 in such manner as to rotate the carrier disks 13 in the direction of thearrow A in Figure 3. This rotation of the carrier disks brings the inner ends 21 of the holding fingers 18 into engagement with finger operating cams 22, having the portion thereof which is positioned below the shaft 11 of greater diameter than the portion which is located above the shaft. The cams 22 are carried by a central hub portion23 loosely surrounding the shaft 11 and held against rotation by a setscrew 24 carried by a center support 25.

Due to this construction, the fingers 18 in passing from the smaller portions (ll of the cams 22 to the larger portions Z) thereof, are opened by the connecting portions 0 and held in open position until the holding pins 16 engage one of the articles on the rests 9 and lift the same therefrom. Continued travel of the carrier disks brings the ends of the holding fingers 18 into engagement with "the portions d of the cams 22 permitting the holding fingers to gradually move into engagement with the articles. In this manner, the articles are successively transferred from the hopper 3 to a marking device which will now be described in detail.

Located on the opposite side of the carrier disks 13 from the hopper 3 is a pair of uprights 26, each having horizontally slidable therein a marker rod 27 carrying at its outer end a suitable marking device 28. In the present embodiment of the invention these marking devices are illustrated as comprising diamond points 29, carried by adjustable screws 80, but it will be apparent that the character of the marking devices is immaterial. Each of the rods 27 has secured thereto by means of a set-screw 31, a guide 32, which guides are provided with outwardly flared receiving surfaces 38 for directing the articles to be marked to the marking devices. Rotational movement of the guides is prevented by guide fingers 34 carried thereby and extending into the uprights 26, while outward movement of the guides is permitted by providing compres sion springs 35 around the pins 34 intermediate the guides and the uprights 26. From the foregoing it willbe apparent that the guides 32 carry the rods 27 and thereby effect a movement of the marking points outwardly in case an article of slightly greater length than contemplated is received by the carrier disks. This insures the location of severance marks on 'the article at points uniformly located a predetermined distance from one or both ends of the article. After the articles have been marked, the holding fingers 18 are operated by the portion 0 of the cams 22 to release the articles and permit their discharge by the chute 36.

Mounted on the shaft 11 at one side of the carrier disks 13, is a star cam 37 adapted to raise the outer end of a lever 38 against the action of a spring 39 and thereby oscillate the rock shaft 40 against the action of its tension spring 41. The rock shaft 40 carries agitator bars 42 having agitating fingers 43 which project upwardly through slots 44 formed in the bottom plate 4 of the hopper 3. These agitator bars insure the feeding of the articles through the hop per 3, whereby an article is always maintained in position to be engaged by the holding pins 16.

In addition to providinga construction capable of producing marks of severance on articles at predetermined and uniform distances from the ends thereof irrespective of variations in the length, it is desirable to also provide a construction for producing such marks of severance of substantially uniform depthirrespective of slight variations in the diameters of the articles. This may be accomplished by forming each of the adjusting screws 30 with a chamber 45, as shown in detail in Figure 7 for slidably receiving a sleeve 46 having a reduced end portion carrying the diamond point 29, and co-operating at its other end with a spring 47 permitting the diamond point to yield when acting on articles of varying diameters, but normally holding the same in its outer position. The end of the chamber 45 may be closed by a head 48 forming adjusting means for the adjusting screw 30. WVith this construction marks are produced on articles of smaller diameter, while the marks on articles of larger diameters are not too deep.

The advantages of the present invention arise from the construction insuring the location of the severance marks at the uniform predetermined distances from one or both ends of the articles.

Further advantages arise from the construction of the carriers for automatically receiving and transferring the articles from the source of supply to the marking devices.

I claim:

1. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the carrier and means cooperating with said carrier for producing severance marks on the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

2. A marking machine, comprising a rotatable carrier-for thearticles'to be marked, means for rotating said carrier, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

3. A marking machine, comprising a car rier for the articles to be marked independent gripping means thereon for each of the articles, means for operating said carrier and said means, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substatnially as described.

4:. A marking machine, comp-rising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the same, and a plurality of means cooperating with the carrier for producing severance marks. on the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

5. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the carrier, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, the saidinarkingmeans being adjustable by the articles being marked to mark the same at a predetermined distance from one or both ends thereof, substantially as described.

6. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the same, and means cooperating with the carrier and adjustable'by the articles being marked for marking'the articles on the carrier at a predetermined distance from one end thereof irrespective of the length of the articles, substantially as described.

7. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the same, and a plurality of means cooperating with the carrier for producing spaced -marks on the articles-carried thereby at predetermined distances from eachend of the articles irrespective of the length thereof, substantially as described.

8. A marking machine, comprising a feed hopper for unmarked articles, a discharge device for marked articles, means for transferring said articles from the hopper to the discharge device, and means for marking said articles during their transfer, substantially as described.

9. A marking machine, comprisng a feed hopper for unmarked articles, a discharge device for marked articles, means for trans fer-ring said articles from the-hopper to the discharge device, and means for producing a series of marks on said articles during their transfer at predetermined distances from the opposite ends thereof irrespective of variations in the length of the articles delivered by said hopper, substantially as described.

10. A marking machine, comprising a feed hopper for holding a plurality of unmarked articles, a rest cooperating with said hopper, means for insuring the movement of articles from the hopper to the rest, a carrier for taking articles from said rest, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking said articles at a predetermined dist-an e from one end thereof irrespective of varia tions in the length oi the articles "red from said hopper, substantially as described.

11. A marking machine, comprising a movable carrier, nolding pins secured to said carrier, holding lingers cooperating-i," with said holding pins, and means for operating said holding lingers, substantially as described.

12. A marking machine, comprisi a retatable carrier, means for rotating said carrier, a holding pin secured to said carrier, a movable holding linger cooperating with said holding pin, means operable during the rotation of the carrier for moving said holding finger to permit the insertion of an article to be marked between said pin and said finger, and means for moving said holding finger to grip said article, substantially described.

13. A marking machine, comprising a re tatable carrier for the articles to be marked, a holding pin on said carrier, a movable holding linger cooperating therewith, cam for moving said holding finger to open 1L- sit-ion during the rotation oi the carrier, and means for moving said holding linger t1; closed position, substantially as described.

14. A marking machine, compri mg a retatable carrier, a holding pin on said carrier, a movable holding linger cooperat'a; with said pin, and means for alternately moving said movable finger to open and closed positions during rotation of the carrier, substantially as described.

15. In a marking machine, a plurality of spaced article carryin disks, a holding pin projecting from the periphery oi each of said disks, a movable holding finger cooper ating with each of said pins, and means operating said movable holding fingers, and means for marking the articles carried by said disks substantially described.

16. in a marking machine, a rotatable shaft, article carrying disks secured to said shaft in spaced relation, a holding pin projecting from the periphery of each oi said disks, a movable holding finger cooperating with each of said pins, means for rotating said shaft, a stationarv cam cooperating with said holding fingers for moving the same to open position, means for moving said fingers to closed position, and means for marking the articles carried by said disks substantially as described.

17. A marking machine, comprising a feed hopper for the unmarked articles. a rotatable carrier cooperating with said hopl U l) llO per and receiving the articles therefrom, means for agitating the articles in said hopper to insure their delivery to the carrier, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

18. A marking device for marking articles, comprising a support, a marker rod carried thereby, a marking device on said rod, a guide on said rod, and springpressed means urging said rod in one direction, said means permitting the movement of the rod in the opposite direction to maintain a predeterminedrelationship between the marking device and the guide, substantially as described.

19. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for holding the articles on said carrier, a marking device cooperating with said carrier for marking said articles and a guide secured to said marking device and engaging the articles for automatically moving the marking device to produce a mark at a predetermined distance from the ends of said articles irrespective oi the length thereoi, substantially as described.

20. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for holding the articles on said carrier, a marking device cooperating with said carrier for marking said articles and a guide secured to said marking device and engaging the articles for automatically moving the marking device to produce a mark at a predetermined distance from the ends of said articles irrespective of the lengtn therof, and means for adjusting said marking device, substantially as described.

21. A marking machine, comprising delivery means for the articles to be marked,

-a carrier for receiving articles therefrom,

means for holding the articles on said carrier, and adjustable means cooperating with said carrier for producing a plurality of marks on said articles at predetermined distances from the ends of the articles irrespective of the length thereof, substantially as described.

22. A marking machine, comprising delivery means for the articles to be marked, a carrier for receiving articles therefrom, means for holding the articles on said carrier, adjustable means cooperating with said carrier for producing a plurality of marks on said articles at predetermined distances from the ends of the articles irrespective of the length thereof, and means for agitating the articles carried by said delivery device, substantially as described.

28. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the carrier and yielding means cooperating with said carrier for producing lines ofseverance on the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

24. A marking machine, comprising a rotatable carrier for the articles to be marked, means for rotating said carrier, and yielding means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

25. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, gripping means thereon, means for operating said carrier and said means, and yielding means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

26. A marking machine, comprising a carrier tor the articles to be marked, means for operating the same, and a plurality of yielding means adjustably cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

27. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the carrier, and means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, the said marking means being adjustable in a plurality of directions at substantially right angles by the articles being marked to produce marks of substantially uniform depth at a predetermined distance from one or both ends thereof, substantially as described.

28. A marking machine, comprising a carrier for the articles to be marked, means for operating the carrier, and a plurality of means cooperating with the carrier for marking the articles carried thereby, the said marking means eachbeing adjustable in a pluralityof directions at substantially right angles by the articles being marked to produce marks of substantially uniform depth at a predetermined distance from one or both ends thereof, substantially as described.

29. In a marking machine, a carrier for the articles to be marked, a plurality of individually operable gripping means on said carrier, means for operating said carrier and said means, and means cooperating with the carrier for producing lines of severance on the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

30. In a marking machine, means for holding unmarked articles, a carrier for automatically receiving said unmarked articles from said holding means, and means cooperating with said carrier for producing lines of severance on the articles carried thereby, substantially as described.

31. In a marking machine, a traveling carrier for the articles to be marked, a holding pin on said carrier, a movable holding finger cooperating with said holding pin and means for alternately moving said movable finger to open and closed positions erating with the carrier for producing lines during the movement of the carrier, subof severance on the articles carried thereby, stantially as described. substantially as described.

82. In a marking machine, a carrier for In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 5 the articles to be marked, gripping means set my hand.

thereon, means for operating said carrler and said means, and yielding means cooper- WESLEY E. HOWELL. 

